ojwithbikes

Took the rim brake bike on my first ever SE hills last Tuesday, done some Richmond bits, yet to go out of the city on it, is fun though, am enjoying it.

But a new project looms.
I’m changing employer and now need a bike that’s going to to perpetually live outside (at best under a cover at home, otherwise locked outside work).
Do I…
A) Build the Brother Swift frame into a parts bin/lockup build?
B) Build a random beater fixie for the job?
C) Some other low cost commuter solution - 26er? Vintage roadie?

I think option B is the winner, but it just seems dumb buying a random fixed frameset to build up when I have that Swift frameset chilling in the dark. I could deal with scratches and dings on that bike but I think I’d regret letting it get fkd from rust…

tricky one

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well, commuter mode Swift begins.

Thought I’d put some spare parts on it to see if I was anywhere close to that commuter bike built by a bike nerd vibe that I do enjoy. Think it’s not off to a bad start. I reckon if I can nail such a vibe with this bike then I’ll be less sad about battering it with locks and salt and rain. Bikes are meant to be used at the end of the day.

Things I need:

• Fixed wheelset - brake track, at least 15mm wide internally, functional, not fancy.
  
• Crankset - I think something vintage and silver would be pretty cool, but otherwise some Sugino RD2 is probably more budget appropriate. Some battered Omniums would go nicely though.
  
• A front brake - sold mine when I desecrated this hip hop fixie build. Anything would do.
  
• 17t cog
  
  

I’ve got everything else I’d need to get this rolling again. If anyone’s got any thing laying around give me a shout, don’t need it built for a weeks yet. It’ll be fun to have a fixie again.

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Whilst progress on the fixed commuter brews.

I’ve got a good week of bikepacking next week. 4 days in Scotland riding from Inverness to Glasgow. Then an overnight trip to the New Forest with some friends.

So am starting to fiddle with bag setup for the trip. Thought I’d be clever and make use of this underside of the down tube bottle cage mount for one of those tool bottles - free up space in the frame bag - buuuuuut im dumb and overestimated the amount of clearance between the down tube and tyre on this silly frame with fat tyres -_-

Yet to start packing, still need to get some bits. If anyone has any bike packing ‘can’t live withouts’ feel free to drop em here

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You can arrange that with a "lowering mount" from different brands, like Topeak's Alt Position Cage or Problem Solvers Bottle Cage position adapter :)

Other than that, just a stupid but valuable advice: bring the best tyre pump you have, because that's the last item you'd want to fail when there's a need for it.

Yeah definitely could but probably for the same price as another one of these tool thingys I ‘spose.

I’m going to wedge a frame pump under my frame bag I think - it’s the only ‘decent’ pump I have and I take it on all my regular rides. Last camping trip I went on I hadn’t thought of doing that with the pump and was putting a lot of faith in a shitty road sized topeak master blaster saving the day should I get a flat…

bike packing ‘can’t live withouts’

full frame bag
lowest gearing possible
good knowledge of route in advance
written, printed routesheet showing wild camping options and resupply points with opening hours
regular stretching routine
simple, reliable parts that you know how to fix already
packed light not by buying fancy things, but reducing the overall number of items

A must bring for me is some kind of packable rucksack or musette, I have a sea to summit ultralight one that has lasted years. Great for packing up enough food and water at the end of the day to see you through overnight because typically you won't enough bag space for it all. I usually have a spare bladder or roll up water bottle that only gets filled at the end of the day to ensure enough water for cooking and re-hydrating.

@platypus yeah can always have more gears can’t you. Hike-a-biking is part of the fun right… Useful tips!

@SoYaap I was going to copy that musette tip from someone else I was on a trip with the other day - thought it was genius and that I was properly dumb for never bringing one with me on past trips. However for this Scotland trip I’m actually also taking a hydration backpack thing with a 1L bladder in so guess that crosses two of your tips off - I’m a salty sweater and drink a lot on the trail, only just figuring out how to get on top of that for long rides.

Scotland was good, crashed my bike going down loose rocky switchback, struggled up steep things with my gear ratio, struggled down steep stuff with my lack of skill and the Kepler’s short n steep(ish) geometry, I did bail which I do regret slightly… But I got to the last point one could bail at on a Wednesday at midday after riding some hero gravel roads in insane scenery, covered in midge bites, legs not feeling great, self-belief was low, and I had arranged an overnighter in the New Forest through the social off-road rides I ‘run’ on the following weekend, so on the train I went.

On said ride in the New Forest I rode a friend’s Brother Big Bro with 2.1” Mezcal tyres, swept back Surly bike packing bars, and mtb gearing - man would that have been ideal for day one of the Badger Divide. Alas, it really would be dumb for me to build a bike packing exclusive mtb rig when I live in leafy south London and only really ‘get out there’ for a few days twice a year. Maybe one day :’(

Anyway, back to the fixed project, @jono84 is being a legend and sorting me out with some omniums and some little bits, so just need a wheelset which proving surprisingly hard to find… so if anyone reading happens to have something going; front brake track, clincher, not track narrow, £150 tops, pls let me know

till next time

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Photos from the trip look amazing! Have you any route details?

Yeah man it’s ‘the Badger Divide’ Inverness-Glasgow route, fixie legend/forum member Stu Allan’s route

First day has something glorious like 2,500m of climbing in the first 90km…

Looks mega! And probably too intense for me this year. A man can dream. The photos of those trails look like absolutely prime gravel tho.
Did an MTB route from Moffat to Innerleithen (stayed at a bnb) to Moffat this year. Was a lot of fun but I think I’d prefer the bike packing style. You’re pictures are an inspiration!

The bikes and the Scotland trip look great! Are you still after a brake for the Swift? I've got an Ultegra one that might fit the bill if so, depending on how reach you need. It's probably only good up to about a 28mm tyre.

You say bikepacking exclusive.. I say all-terrain riding inclusive.
Some mudguards on there for the day-to-day riding and take them off if you want to get really muddy/wet.
I rode my first (mixed surface) century on an old Kona with 26x2.15 tyres with mudguards, albatross bars and front rack. It was glorious.

@Nef you should deffo give it a go somewhen! I think I’ll go back and do it again, hopefully not solo so the camaraderie picks me up a bit haha. I’d say hire an mtb for this as well!

@ltc thanks man yeah it was my first time in Scotland and it’s definitely worth the trip. Cheers for the offer of the brake but I think jono has one lingering around so should be good there, will let you know if that changes (:

@MisterMikkel I did my first bike packing trip on a specialized hard rock last year that was built in a similar style to that bike of yours! There’s a pic at the start of this thread I think. ATBs are sick, and I don’t doubt that one day I will own one, just not for a bit… riding an hour south of London to get to some off-road stuff is my regular kinda off-road riding and a big ol’ rig is maybe a bit overkill for that kinda stuff

I guess it depends on the kind of riding you do the most.. I don't think of an ATB a "big ol' rig". But I also need to carry groceries, two kids and lunch.
Which incidently has had a severe impact on the amount of drop bar riding that I do :D

commuter bike doing commute stuff.

big thanks to @jono84 for giving me very kind prices on all the bits I needed to get this rolling in time for its inaugural lock-up today. The wheels are great; quiet, comfy, seem to just keep rolling. The drivetrain is smoooooth; the 3/32 surly 17t seems to be making the bike run quieter than it has with any 1/8 cog did.

Feels good to have a fixie to ride again. Looking forward to winter road fixed stuff on the horizon. Really glad to have a bike that I feel a bit less paranoid about locking up.

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Ooooft, that's great! Making me want a road fixed.

Ty ty, yeah they’re fun. I feel like it lets me be older/more boring/lame than my riser-brakeless skidder days but still get all the joys of riding a fixed gear without some of its questionable quirks haha

Fark that's good! Those wheels and that frame were meant to be together.

Last post 5 hours ago... Good luck with the new job!

Ha, that’s exactly how I feel. Still love fixed. Not sure I could hack a hilly 11 mile commute on my old brakeless lo-pro these days though. Riding fixed at all is quirky enough :)

So nice! No issues with running a 1/8 chain on a narrower cog? Might as well test it out

That’s really really nice, I really like that brown colour. Reminds me of spotter’s jack lemon(?)

That's the same reason I have my Pompino. I still love riding fixed but couldn't hack a brakeless lo-pro with 23c tyres these days. My knees and back much prefer an old man riding position, a hydraulic disc and fatter tyres.

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cheers people, good to hear I’m amongst good company of increasingly ageing fixed gear fans

And no @M2nna seems all good, jono sold me it and said it would be quieter which to be honest I thought the opposite would be the case (more room for the chain to move on the cog?) but its actually been super super quiet and smooth feeling.